Exhibit 4.4

INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY

2006 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

___________________________________________

Restricted Share Award Agreement

for

Agents, Consultants and Advisors

__________________________________________

Award No. __________

You are hereby awarded Restricted Shares subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Restricted Share Award Agreement (“Award Agreement” or “Award”), and in the Independence Holding Company 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which is attached hereto as Exhibit A. You should carefully review these documents, and consult with your personal financial advisor, in order to fully understand the implications of this Award, including your tax alternatives and their consequences.

By executing this Award Agreement, you agree to be bound by all of the Plan’s terms and conditions as if they had been set out verbatim in this Award Agreement. In addition, you recognize and agree that all determinations, interpretations, or other actions respecting the Plan and this Award Agreement will be made by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Independence Holding Company (the “Company”), or any Committee appointed by the Board to administer the Plan, and shall (in the absence of manifest bad faith or fraud) be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties, including you, your heirs and representatives. Capitalized terms are defined in the Plan or in this Award Agreement.

Specific Terms. Your Restricted Shares have the following terms:

Name of Participant
Number of Restricted Shares Subject to Award
Purchase Price per Share (if applicable)
Award Date
Vesting	At the rate of ____% on each of the next [monthly] [quarterly] [annual] anniversaries of the Award Date; subject to acceleration as provided in the Plan and in Section 2 below, and to your Continuous Service not ending before vesting.

Independence Holding Company

2006 Stock Incentive Plan

Restricted Share Award Agreement

Page 2

2. Accelerated Vesting; Change in Corporate Control. To the extent you have not previously vested in your rights with respect to this Award, your Award will become –

3. Dividends. When Shares are issued to you or your duly-authorized transferee pursuant to the vesting of the Shares, you or your duly-authorized transferee shall also be entitled to receive, with respect to each Share issued, (i) a number of Shares equal to the stock dividends which were declared and paid to the holders of Shares between the Grant Date and the date such Share is issued, and (ii) a number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to any cash dividends that were paid to the holders of Shares based on a record date between the Grant Date and the date such Share is issued.

4. Investment Purposes. You acknowledge that you are receiving and will be holding your Restricted Shares for investment purposes only and without any present intention of selling or distributing them.

5. Issuance of Restricted Shares. Until all vesting restrictions lapse, any certificates that you receive for Restricted Shares will include a legend stating that they are subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan and this Award Agreement. The Company may, in its discretion, hold such Restricted Shares in escrow until vesting occurs. Certificates shall not be delivered to you unless you have made arrangements satisfactory to the Committee to satisfy tax-withholding obligations. The certificates evidencing such Restricted Shares that will be issued will bear the following legend that shall remain in place and effective until all other vesting restrictions lapse and new certificates are issued:

“The sale or other transfer of the Stock represented by this certificate, whether voluntary, involuntary, or by operation of law, is subject to certain restrictions on transfer set forth in the Independence Holding Company 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, and in any rules and administrative procedures adopted pursuant to such Plan and in a related Award Agreement. A copy of the Plan, such rules and procedures and such Award Agreement may be obtained from the Secretary of Independence Holding Company.”

6. Unvested Restricted Shares. You will be reflected as the owner of record on the Company’s books and records of any Shares issued pursuant to this Award Agreement. The

Independence Holding Company

2006 Stock Incentive Plan

Restricted Share Award Agreement

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Company will hold the stock certificates for safekeeping until such Shares have become vested and non-forfeitable. You must deliver to the Company, as soon as practicable after the date any Shares are issued, a stock power, endorsed in blank, with respect to any such Shares. If you forfeit any Shares, the stock power will be used to return the certificates for the forfeited Shares to the transfer agent for cancellation. As the owner of record of any Restricted Shares you qualify to receive pursuant to this Award Agreement, you will be entitled to all rights of a stockholder of the Company, including the right to vote Shares and the right to the payment of any cash dividends and other distributions (including those paid in stock) following the date of issuance of such Shares and to the extent paid in stock, such stock shall be subject to the same restrictions contained in Section 1, subject in each case to the treatment of the Award upon termination of employment before the particular record date for determining stockholders of record entitled to the payment of the dividend or distribution.

7. Section 83(b) Election Notice. If you make an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, with respect to the Shares underlying your Restricted Shares (a “Section 83(b) election”), you agree to provide a copy of such election to the Company within 10 days after filing that election with the Internal Revenue Service. Exhibit B contains a suggested form of Section 83(b) election.

8. Designation of Beneficiary. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in the Plan, following the execution of this Award Agreement, you may expressly designate a beneficiary (the “Beneficiary”) to your interest, if any, in the Restricted Shares awarded hereby. You shall designate the Beneficiary by completing and executing a designation of beneficiary agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Designation of Beneficiary”) and delivering an executed copy of the Designation of Beneficiary to the Company.

9. Restrictions on Transfer. This Award Agreement may not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred without the prior written consent of the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may transfer this Award (i) by instrument to an inter vivos or testamentary trust (or other entity) in which each beneficiary is a permissible gift recipient, as such is set forth in subsection (ii) of this Section, or (ii) by gift to charitable institutions or by gift or transfer for consideration to any of your relatives as follows (or to an inter vivos trust, testamentary trust or other entity primarily for the benefit of any of your relatives as follows): any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, domestic partner, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, and shall include adoptive relationships. Any transferee of your rights shall succeed and be subject to all of the terms of this Award Agreement and the Plan.

10. Taxes. By signing this Award Agreement, you acknowledge that you shall be solely responsible for the satisfaction of any taxes that may arise (including taxes arising under Sections 409A or 4999 of the Code), and that neither the Company nor the Administrator shall have any obligation whatsoever to pay such taxes.

11. Notices. Any notice or communication required or permitted by any provision of this Award Agreement to be given to you shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to you at the last address that the Company had

Independence Holding Company

2006 Stock Incentive Plan

Restricted Share Award Agreement

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for you on its records. Each party may, from time to time, by notice to the other party hereto, specify a new address for delivery of notices relating to this Award Agreement. Any such notice shall be deemed to be given as of the date such notice is personally delivered or properly mailed.

12. Binding Effect. Except as otherwise provided in this Award Agreement or in the Plan, every covenant, term, and provision of this Award Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors, transferees, and assigns.

13. Modifications. This Award Agreement may be modified or amended at any time, in accordance with Section 15 of the Plan and provided that you must consent in writing to any modification that adversely alters or impairs any rights or obligations under this Award Agreement.

14. Headings. Section and other headings contained in this Award Agreement are for reference purposes only and are not intended to describe, interpret, define or limit the scope or intent of this Award Agreement or any provision hereof.

15. Severability. Every provision of this Award Agreement and of the Plan is intended to be severable. If any term hereof is illegal or invalid for any reason, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the validity or legality of the remaining terms of this Award Agreement.

16. Counterparts. This Award Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

17. Plan Governs. By signing this Award Agreement, you acknowledge that you have received a copy of the Plan and that your Award Agreement is subject to all the provisions contained in the Plan, the provisions of which are made a part of this Award Agreement and your Award is subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations which from time to time may be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Award Agreement and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.

18. Governing Law. The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern the validity of this Award Agreement, the construction of its terms, and the interpretation of the rights and duties of the parties hereto.

19. Not a Contract of Employment. By executing this Award Agreement you acknowledge and agree that (i) any person who is terminated before full vesting of an award, such as the one granted to you by this Award, could claim that he or she was terminated to preclude vesting; (ii) you promise never to make such a claim; (iii) nothing in this Award Agreement or the Plan confers on you any right to continue an employment, service or consulting relationship with the Company or its Affiliates, nor shall it affect in any way your right or the Company or its Affiliates’ rights, as applicable, to terminate your employment, service, or consulting relationship at any time, with or without Cause; and (iv) the Company would not have granted this Award to you but for these acknowledgements and agreements.

Independence Holding Company

2006 Stock Incentive Plan

Restricted Share Award Agreement

Page 5

BY YOUR SIGNATURE BELOW, along with the signature of the Company’s representative, you and the Company agree that the Restricted Shares hereby awarded under and governed by the terms and conditions of this Award Agreement and the Plan.

INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY

By: ____________________________________
	Name:
		Title:

PARTICIPANT

The undersigned Participant hereby accepts the terms of this Award Agreement and the Plan.

By: ____________________________________

Name of Participant: ________________________

EXHIBIT B

INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY

2006 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

_______________________________

Section 83(b) Election Form

______________________________

Attached is an Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b) Election Form. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR SECTION 83(B) ELECTION WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THE RESTRICTED SHARES COVERED BY THE ELECTION WERE TRANSFERRED TO YOU. In order to make the election, you must completely fill out the attached form and file one copy with the Internal Revenue Service office where you file your tax return. In addition, one copy of the statement also must be submitted with your income tax return for the taxable year in which you make this election. Finally, you also must submit a copy of the election form to the Company within 10 days after filing that election with the Internal Revenue Service. A Section 83(b) election normally cannot be revoked.

INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY

2006 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

________________________________________________________

Election to Include Value of Restricted Shares in Gross Income

in Year of Transfer Under Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b)

_________________________________________________________

Pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, I hereby elect within 30 days after receiving the property described herein to be taxed immediately on its value specified in item 5 below.

1.	My General Information:

Name:

__________________________________

Address:

________________________________

S.S.N.

or T.I.N.:

__________________________

2.	Description of the property with respect to which I am making this election:

____________________ shares of ___________ stock of Independence Holding Company (the “Restricted Shares”).

3.	The Restricted Shares were transferred to me on ______________ ___, 20__. This election relates to the 20____ calendar taxable year.

4.	The Restricted Shares are subject to the following restrictions:

The Restricted Shares are forfeitable until they is are earned in accordance with Section 1 of the Independence Holding Company 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (“Plan”), the terms of the applicable Restricted Share Award Agreement or other applicable award agreement (“Award Agreement”) or Plan provisions. The Restricted Shares generally are not transferable until my interest becomes vested and nonforfeitable, pursuant to the Award Agreement and the Plan.

5.	Fair market value:

The fair market value at the time of transfer (determined without regard to any restrictions other than restrictions which by their terms never will lapse) of the Restricted Shares with respect to which I am making this election is $_____ per share.

6.	Amount paid for Restricted Shares:

The amount I paid for the Restricted Shares is $____ per share.

7.	Furnishing statement to transferor of Restricted Shares:

A copy of this statement has been furnished to Independence Holding Company.

8.	Award Agreement or Plan not affected:

Nothing contained herein shall be held to change any of the terms or conditions of the Award Agreement or the Plan.

Dated: ____________ __, 200_.

______________________________

Taxpayer

EXHIBIT C

INDEPENDENCE HOLDING COMPANY

2006 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

_________________________________

Designation of Beneficiary

_________________________________

In connection with Award Agreements between Independence Holding Company (the “Company”) and _______________, an individual residing at ___________________ (the “Recipient”), the Recipient hereby designates the person specified below as the beneficiary of the Recipient’s interest in Awards as defined in the Company’s 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). This designation shall remain in effect until revoked in writing by the Recipient.

Name of Beneficiary:
Address:


Social Security No.:

This beneficiary designation relates to any and all of Recipient’s rights under the following Award or Awards:

any Award that Recipient has received under the Plan.

the _________________ Award that Recipient received pursuant to an award agreement dated _________ __, ____ between Recipient and the Company.

The Recipient understands that this designation operates to entitle the above-named beneficiary to the rights conferred by an Award from the date this form is delivered to the Company until such date as this designation is revoked in writing by the Recipient, including by delivery to the Company of a written designation of beneficiary executed by the Recipient on a later date.

Date:

By:

[Recipient Name]

Sworn to before me this

____day of ____________, 200_

___________________________

Notary Public

County of	_________________
State of	__________________